MSI Rookie Squad Two (Inactive)

Game Master Nazard

Kinman and Trintarian slink away as Rumblemountain plants her hands on her hips and glares at Grigory.

"Some of us have procedures to follow and sometimes you can learn more finishing an investigation rather than chase off after every shiny new collapsed building. With that investigation completed, it'll take me minutes to determine this collapse's cause instead of days. I'm assuming that time difference is if some value to you?"

She pauses her tirade to look unsure suddenly. "But nobody told me there was a body, just another collapse. Some idiot further down the chain than you was royally screwing his pooch on that one. But in future, whether it's a collapsed building or not, never release a scene to civilians until all pertinent offices, divisions, and mandates of the City of Magnimar have done their due diligence. No matter how much they whine."

Trying to defuse the situation, Krojun says:"We'll keep that in mind Mrs. Rumblemountain."

He then looks around and continues: "Where is lady Trace?" and remembers that she is at the libary. "I guess I'm on my own then."

He walks over to the spot he pointed out and gestures for Trintarian to join him. "Good day sir, my name is Krojun Hora, I'm with the City Watch. I would like to ask you some questions, relating to the stock in your shop. Did you have any necklaces for sale?"

Diplomacy if necessary: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26

"A massive miscommunication then," Grigory replies. "I hadn't been told to expect anyone from the City Planners' office to be investigating the scene until after we had finished up our initial assessment and headed back to HQ for lunch. Had we known to expect you we may have not been so hasty. Likewise, I'm sure if you had known there was a dead body sitting here you'd have likely given it higher priority."

"Since you said it would only take you minutes to determine the cause of the collapse here, I assume you're going to confirm our suspicions that the two are related and the cause for both is the same? Hopefully we can get things wrapped up before you have another shiny new building collapse to investigate."

"Necklaces?" Trintarian echoes politely. "No. Other than a few scrolls, potions, and wands, I don't carry magical inventory, or much inventory of any kind, actually. My business is magical transport. I teleport my clients where they need to go. Most of them are merchants or nobles on trips for business, or foolish adventurers needing to get to some unforsaken dungeon (or out of one) because they're in over their heads."

Rav Kinman, who was standing next to Trintarian, mumbles an "Excuse me, Trin," to the wizard and then heads off, deliberately bumping into Krojun as he walks by.

Rumblemountain, now that things have calmed down somewhat, adopts a bemused and jolly demeanour. "Right, well I meant that if these collapses have a common cause, I know what to look for this time. If they were brought down by different methods, I'll be back to square one."

She heads into the rubble, tracking the collapse back to its starting point, which she seems to think somewhere under the Cherished Chelish. You soon hear the sounds of a hammer on rock, and fifteen minutes later, the dwarf returns, nodding. "Yep, same cause. Somebody or something got inside the foundation stones of both buildings without hurting the outsides, and smashed the rocks from the inside out. With the foundation stones compromised, there was nothing to hold the walls up, and down they came."

Dublaine nodded, although in truth some of this was always going to be out of his realm of experience. "Excuse me asking, but did you notice if the last place suffered a similar attack near a Chelish based merchant?" Although it was a long shot, Dublaine couldn't help feeling that the racial link was one worth chasing down.

Rumblemountain shakes her head. "Nah! Last time the collapse started underneath Marblecutter's, the dwarf antique merchant."

So we've got a summoner targeting antique shops...

Rumblemountain's mention that the West Naos collapse was centered on another antique shop strikes a chord with Grigory and he excuses himself to go find Kinman.

"Mr. Kinman, we've got a bit more information now and there are a few more questions I need to ask you:"

"Did the witch or savage you mentioned earlier have any tattoos or markings on their faces or foreheads?"

"Were either of them interested in any specific items in your shop?"

"We have reason to believe a specific item was taken by the person responsible for the collapse, a necklace of some sort. I realize you haven't had time to search the rubble to determine what's missing, but does that sound like something you might have had in your inventory? If so, do you have any idea what would make it so valuable to someone that they'd bring down the building to get to it?"

Kinman stops glaring over at Krojun.

"Tattoos? Like all the savages, covered in them, though they were kind of faded." He describes the tattooes, then a flash of anger crosses his face.

"And he was interested in something. My enjoiner fragment. I don't normally carry savage relics, but the time period was right. It's a necklace, pendant really. It was in a display case, right over there." He dashes over, ignoring Rumblemountain's protests, and starts throwing rubble and broken glass aside. "Do any of you lot know how to look for magic? It's magical."

"If it's magical and he was interested in it, I'm sorry to say that it's almost assuredly missing, Mr. Kinman."

"Pardon my ignorance, but what exactly does an enjoiner do?"

"I have no idea, but if you stop staring and help me look for it, then I can tell you whether or not it's gone!"

Since nobody present speaks up with the ability to detect magic, Kinman will call Trintarian over. He reluctantly agrees to use his magical abilities for free yet again, and casts detect magic. As Kinman (and your folks too?) move rubble, he concentrates. By the time you've hit flooring and cleared the area, Trintarian is shaking his head. "Nothing magical here. Sorry, Rav."

"Damned filthy savage!" Kinman curses, glances at Krojun and steps back a bit in fear, though the hatred doesn't diminish in the least.

Oh dear, that's second lvl, of course since I am training it would be a wonderful practice(you know since I would cast 0s before 1sts). too bad I'm at the library for another 2.5 hrs

OMG ninjad twice! ok so i read then posted without refreshing but still dang

See why I warned you about him, Krojun?

Do Kinman's descriptions of the tattoos match the symbol Tiberius drew?

"I can't see how it would have done him much good anyway, but did the "savage" ever offer to buy the enjoiner fragment from you? And how did you decide how much to ask for it if you didn't know what it was used for?"

Dublaine looked on surprised, despite his line of thinking it seemed at last they'd snagged a break. Although he had no idea, like Grigory, what an enjoiner was.

He made a mental note to ask, back at base if they had scribble sheets, parchment or some sort of ledger and pencil to write with.

Indeed I do, perhaps he does not realise that all savages are indeed savages and does not take insults well :D

Shaking his head at the merchant behaviour Krojun helps with moving the rocks. As he passes by Grigory he says in a low voice: "What an idiot, well his own loss."

Would a knowledge local in relation to his Shoanti heritage revel anything about the rejoiner fragment?

After the manual labour he turns to Grigory and Dublain: "This is interesting guys, we should go tell the others."

My completely out-of-character guess is that the enjoiner allows a summoner and its eidolon some sort of special power... merge forms, permanent bond, etc. that otherwise requires the summoner to have attained a higher level. I don't really have any way of knowing it in character, nor do I have any idea if it's anywhere close to being accurate.

"Ms. Rumblemountain, I assume your office keeps building plans for all the structures in the city? Would the plans for Irefoot Hall and West Naos Market be back at the City Planners' office or did you bring them along with you for your investigation? I'd like to have a look at them if you have them handy, even though I'll likely not be able to decipher half of the information they contain."

Actually, I just want to see if one of them is missing a corner...

Krojun, knowledge history is the relevant skill check here, sorry. While you would get a bonus to it, the DC is too high to attempt untrained.

"He did try to buy it, but not this last time. Now that I think about it, he was the same guy who tried to buy it months ago. I don't now what the magic part of it did, since it's just a fragment of the original magic item, it's magic didn't do anything. But I know it had historical value, and I know what I paid for it, so it's easy enough to come up with a reasonable mark-up."

The tattoos don't resemble the symbol Tiberius described, but Krojun recognizes some of those tattoos as belonging to the Skull Clan, suggesting that this Shoanti belongs to it.

Rumblemountain scoffs at Grigory. "Yeah, I would love to have a look at them myself. Can't do that when they both happen to get mis-filed! I don't now how my clerk could manage to mis-file two blueprints, and the two I'd happen to need. I suppose it just means that there are hundreds more mis-filed as well."

tsk tsk someone is gonna be in trouble. Shouldn't be selling blueprints, at least not the originals.

After having seen the description of the tattoos Krojun adds discretely so that only Dublaine and Grigory can hear it: "Those tattoos looks Shoanti, they're from the Skoan-Quah. Though what they're doing hear I don't understand."

After having seen the description of the tattoos Krojun adds discretely so that only Dublaine and Grigory can hear it: "Those tattoos looks Shoanti, they're from the Skoan-Quah. Though what they're doing hear I don't understand."

Dublaine nodded then added, "Do you know if a group of them resides in the city? Might there be folk we could talk to who know more?"

Ok lots of stuff being thrown around here, not sure I understand what Grigory said about the enjoiner OOC earlier, I'm so new to Pathfinder I don't know much outside the standard classes in 4e. Not sure if the blueprints might have been misfiled as an excuse to cover their absence, but if many more are, might other buildings also be at risk. I wonder if we can find out? I also agree with Krojun that perhaps we ought to let the others know what is going on, perhaps before proceeding, unless anyone has any other business to take care of here?

Summoners basically get to play two characters at once... the summoner and their eidolon (magically summoned creature). I'm guessing out-of-character that the enjoiner somehow benefits the summoner.

I'm guessing the other antique shop at West Naos Market also had an enjoiner fragment go missing and whoever's stealing them is trying to collect all the fragments to reconstruct the enjoiner and use its magical powers. Grigory tells his comrades, careful no one else overhears.

Who do we go tell first? Dr. Lynch might come looking for us at Irefoot Hall and Lady Trace is at the library, so we're either splitting up even more or risking having one of them come looking for us while we're off finding the other.

"Misfiled? You're certain the plans weren't stolen or sold without your knowledge? Grigory asks Rumblemountain.

"Do you know how many other fragments there were? Any idea if any other merchants in the city had any of them in their inventories?" he asks Kinman. "Perhaps whoever sold you the fragment may have sold others... We'd like to talk to them as well.

Kinman replies with a disgusted sneer. "I bought mine from the last two lordlings of House Hynter, once a proud Chelaxian house, now a pair of drunks. I'm sure they've already pissed away what little I gave them for it. I don't know about any other fragments, though I wouldn't mind getting more if they're out there. No doubt the price and interest would go way up if the item were complete and functioning!" Greed clouds his face for a moment.

Rumblemountain shrugs. "It's possible, I suppose. Definitely against procedures to sell blue prints. The common public isn't supposed to even be able to see them without special permission given by the Office of the Council of Ushers. Terry and Jimmy are good fellows, though not the brightest. If they did sell those plans to somebody, I will see to it they're thrown off the Irespan." She chuckles darkly, to suggest she's probably just kidding.

Knowledge Local to see if we know anything about House Hynter? If so: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19

"Any idea where we might find those two fellows?" Grigory asks Kinman.

Summoners basically get to play two characters at once... the summoner and their eidolon (magically summoned creature). I'm guessing out-of-character that the enjoiner somehow benefits the summoner.

Thanks for that, that clears that up ;-)As regards getting back to the others, you make a good point. Now we've got a lead in that there seems to be someone trying to locate items for some sort of magical artefact/item, perhaps instead we ought to check out other sites where we might locate other potential pieces. Knowledge check on other antique shops1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10Arh still no luck with the dice then.

Grigory knows about as much as Kinman just said. Used to be a proud noble House, now the last remnants are a pair of drunks. Hynter Manor is a crumbling blight on the Marble District that many of the elite would live to see wiped from the map.

Sorry, Dublaine. Those dice will turn around for you eventually.

I think we need rings of telepathy for this phase of investigation. These rolls is why I like 3d6 instead of 1d20 myself.

Now what? Guards & Wards? City Planner's Office? Hynter Manor? MSI HQ? Not sure there's much more to ask/learn at Irefoot Hall.

So it's about 3:00 at this point. Lady Trace has another hour and a half of research, and Eudonius another 2.5 hours for his autopsy.

Seems like the dead guard was just collateral damage, so I don't know how much of a priority we should put on going to Guards & Wards to find out information about him right now. And if Rumblemountain thinks the blueprints were misfiled I'm not sure going to her office would yield much from her assistants beyond "We don't know where they are." I'm thinking tracking down the guys who sold Kinman the enjoiner fragment might be our best course of action. We'll also probably want to hit up West Naos Market at some point to ask about enjoiner fragments so we're not just working on the assumption that there was one there, too."

Before we run off anywhere... Knowledge Local to see if I know of any other shops likely to have enjoiner fragments in their inventory (or if that's too specific, just any antique/magic shops): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20

Seems like the dead guard was just collateral damage, so I don't know how much of a priority we should put on going to Guards & Wards to find out information about him right now. And if Rumblemountain thinks the blueprints were misfiled I'm not sure going to her office would yield much from her assistants beyond "We don't know where they are." I'm thinking tracking down the guys who sold Kinman the enjoiner fragment might be our best course of action. We'll also probably want to hit up West Naos Market at some point to ask about enjoiner fragments so we're not just working on the assumption that there was one there, too."

Before we run off anywhere... Knowledge Local to see if I know of any other shops likely to have enjoiner fragments in their inventory (or if that's too specific, just any antique/magic shops): 1d20 + 6

As ever you're the man with a plan...

I have been trying not to intrude since i am not there but i cant contain myself anymore and i would like to offer a sugestion. Right now i think our priority should be to prevent future attacks and arrest the criminal. I see two ways of doing so with the info we have and my opinion is that we should do both.

The first is to try to track down the other pieces of the artifact and learn its history.

The second is through interrogation of suspects. If we luck out this can be faster. We found a piece of the blue print on the collapse building. Those two assistents from the city planners office are saying they "mis-filed" them, we have prof they are lying. We can go an arrest them on charges of helping the crimal. Offer a deal to let them go if they come clean. If they sold more than 2 blue prints we can figure out if there is a next target and set an ambush.

Surrounded by glass containers and cutting objects Eudonius merrily opens the poor nightwatcher's chest with a scalpel. Oh my, so much to work with! One day on this job and I already got more resources then in a year of flattering back home! Should have come to Magnimar earlier! Oh my, oh my... The good doctor whistle a tune while putting a human heart in a jar.

Great suggestions mate and that was my thinking earlier when I lucked out trying to think of other places that might sell similar artefacts. The other about arresting the filing clerks is also a great one. I guess we can too easily take people at their word and pushing them to see if there covering is a valid point. Not sure if we can use your OOC suggestion, DM can we use Eudonius suggestion as it would sure make for two very clear directions as to where we go next. Guess the priority would be to arrest the clerks get back and the rest of us find out where else might be on this Summoners shopping list!

Hmmm...grumble, grumble...

:P

I suppose there's nothing stopping the group from heading back to MSI for a pow-wow reclined against the operating tables where the medical examiner can dispense his valid if quirky advice to the flatfeet.

Thanks Nazard, in all honesty I didn't want to ignore Eudonius but equally take advantage of meta gaming. Anyway Grigory, what do you think?

Appreciate the input, but we don't know that the clerks are lying about the whereabouts of the blueprints and we certainly can't prove it... The way I interpreted Rumblemountain's answer they never claimed they misfiled them, she's just assuming that since the blueprints weren't where they were supposed to be, the clerks must have misfiled them. It's very possible that the blueprints were stolen without anyone at the City Planner's Office knowing about it until they went to look for them after the collapses. I'm sure whoever brought down the buildings would be capable of stealing some blueprints. If we can find out exactly who has/had the enjoiner fragments (I'm not worried about what the enjoiner does or why the summoner wants it, we can find that out later) we can have an idea of where the suspect is likely to strike next and be ready for them.

"Ms. Rumblemountain, would your office have a listing of all the city's antique shops? It seems that in both collapses, an antique shop was the central target, so that might help us predict future "attacks" if you will."

If they have a list, we can have the clerks pull the blueprints for all the antique shops and we may find that other blueprints are also missing or misfiled

I'm not suggesting we go to the City Planner's Office now, just gathering information to fill time. I'll let Dublaine and Krojun weigh in on where we should go next, but if the City Planner's Office doesn't concern itself with what businesses occupy certain buildings, just the buildings themselves, I think hunting down the source of Kinman's enjoiner fragment may be our best bet.

"The Office will have some, but with our budget, we don't have a complete or up-to-date list."

"The Office will have some, but with our budget, we don't have a complete or up-to-date list."

Dublaine thought about this, "So that likely means they only have plans that are older establishments, before cuts made it so they couldn't keep up. Anyone could have a spot. But it seems to me, if we are going to try and get the jump on this Summoner we've got to find a way to get an idea of who else might be interested in selling!"

Is there some register of merchants that might know who and who isn't trading in Magnimar 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7 local knowledge? Blast dice still gone ice cold on me.

"Actually, it's the other way around. We only have plans for buildings built or renovated within the last fifty years, since the office was set up. What we don't have the budget for is having blueprints made of existing buildings."

"But does your office keep a record of what businesses are being housed in a particular building? For example, if I wanted a blueprint for the Cherished Chelish but I didn't know where the shop itself was located, would your office have any way of finding it for me?"

"Don't you think we should head back to the station and talk to the others about this? The way I see it we have five leads we need to follow up: Terry and Jimmy from the building inspectors office, A possible rejoiner fragment at the West Naos Market, the lordlings of House Hynter, other fragment in other antique shops, is information about shops available from the city planners office and personally I will ask our shaman about the Skoan-Quah." Krojun sums up and continues: "Mrs. Rumblemountain's answer should clear up the part about the list of shops."

"When the plans were made up for a new or renovated building, it's current business occupants, if any, were noted. But if in the intervening years, businesses moved or closed down, the chances those lists were updated is extremely remote. I would not hinge your investigation in those lists were I you. The information would probably be more misleading than helpful."

"When the plans were made up for a new or renovated building, it's current business occupants, if any, were noted. But if in the intervening years, businesses moved or closed down, the chances those lists were updated is extremely remote. I would not hinge your investigation in those lists were I you. The information would probably be more misleading than helpful."

On that basis, for what its worth, I think we should regroup at the station and consider what our priorities should be.

"Dr. Lynch will likely be a few hours from finishing with the autopsy if we go back to headquarters now and who knows when Lady Trace will be back from looking up that symbol at the library... I figure they left the three of us to make our own decisions and investigate whatever and wherever we deem appropriate, but it seems we've got quite different interpretations of the situation. Back to headquarters it is then..."

Not trying to exclude Eudonius or Lady Trace from the decision-making process, just trying to think about what would be our most effective use of our time. I don't see the value of getting their approval if they're both going to be tied up for some time with their individual projects and unable to immediately accompany us on whatever course they suggest.

Checking in, Im reading but haven't got to a good point for my return. I love the library resources but they take a while.

Not trying to exclude Eudonius or Lady Trace from the decision-making process, just trying to think about what would be our most effective use of our time. I don't see the value of getting their approval if they're both going to be tied up for some time with their individual projects and unable to immediately accompany us on whatever course they suggest.

You make a good point Grigory and I think at this point we ought to appoint someone as leader of the group so that, when we get conflicting but equally valid choices someone can say, 'this one!' to save us going around the block trying to work out what to do. (which with all due respect its felt like we have - and I'm easily the worst culprit of doing this).

Anyway, I might be in the minority, but I've really appreciated Grigory's clear grasp of things, (especially when unfamiliar terms, names mentioned pages back and what not get quite convoluted) so I suggest we go with Grigory as team leader - at least for now. Besides which I think the choices we might have or appear to have are causing analysis paralysis, so we'll end up circling for a week or two in real time trying to make a decision.

As to what to do next, the consensus seems to be lets get back and start with everyone assembled. Nazard can we have a summery of the main points as well - reading back over pages of possible clues and stuff makes it more difficult to separate what is a clue from what is just incidental information. Thanks for bearing with me!

"Back to base, at least for now then" Dublaine added, unsure as to what they were to do about trying to find further possible targets for the summoner.

"You're properly right, but even if the others aren't done, I think the three of us should talk about what to do next somewhere private and the station is our best bet. I'm not sure which of the four remaining leads, we should prioritize."

Are any of the potential investigative locations on our route back to MSI headquarters?

Also, Dublaine, I've been trying to update the Google site with clues as we collect them:

MSI Clues

Others can feel free to add/edit clues/theories as well, obviously.

No, sorry. I need to get city maps up with locations.

Honestly I keep forgetting about the google site, I generally keep notes about games (if not in my head) in a folder with my char sheet.

Lady Trace will inquire if there is any record of summoners and there symbols even if(very likely) it is partial or small. It would be good to find people who might know good info or show innocence ahead of time as well. Just finding out if there is one( like at customs or watch station) can hunt it down later if one exists.

After finished with library of course.

No, sorry. I need to get city maps up with locations.

Ok lets head back to MSI, but carry on the conversation assuming where there. Thanks for the list of clues, helps to get things sorted a bit clearer and hopefully keeps us all on the same page

Dublaine turned to his companions, "Well this isn't easy, back in Riddleport, life was violent and straightforward. This being a far more lawful town, its clear its just a violent but far more subtle! Its a shame we can't find that Varisian witch. Maybe she knows some more, we're seriously short of eye witnesses! I wonder if the good captain knows of any other way we can locate other potential sites of interest?"

Just musing out loud here folks...hoping that we might be able to pool further leads for us to follow. Otherwise I think we'll be facging another collapsed building if we can't get ahead of this Summoner!